PARIS.- The secretary general of the FIFA, Mattias Grafstromdescribed as “constructive” the meeting organized on Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian federation to guarantee the participation of Iran in it North America World Cupwhich starts in less than a month.
“Our meeting with the Iranian Football Federation It has been very constructive. We work closely together and are looking forward to hosting the Islamic Republic of Iran in the World Cup“, declared the FIFA representative in a statement.
“We have been able to address certain issues of an operational nature, as we do with each member association. I am very satisfied with the richness of our exchanges,” added Grafström.
The representative also noted that “both the Iranian Football Federation and FIFA are very satisfied with this match and are happy to welcome Team Melli in Canada, USA and Mexico“he added.
For his part, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Tajagreed that the meeting was “positive and constructive.”
“Each party was able to express their concerns, while reaffirming a common commitment to guarantee the participation of Team Melli in the World Cup,” he declared, quoted in the FIFA statement.
The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), a country to which the Iranian team will travel on Monday to hold a concentration with the aim of preparing for the World Cup, before traveling to the United States, at a time of great tension between Tehran and Washington due to the war in Middle East.
No visa to travel to the US
Last Thursday, Taj assured that members who must travel to the United States have not yet received their visas, a procedure that is supposed to be completed during their stay in Türkiye.
In Antalya, the Iranian team will play two friendly matches, although for now only one has been confirmed against Gambia on May 29.
After this stay in Türkiye, the Iranian delegation will travel to Arizona, where it will have its base camp during the World Cup.
Team Melli will play its three matches in Group G of the first phase in the United States: on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand; repeating venue on June 21st in front of Belgium; and will end before Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The selector Amir Ghalenoei He has made a first call of 30 players, which he will have to reduce to 26, and those will be the ones who finally travel to the World Cup.
That call includes the captain Ehsan Hajsafi and the star Medhi Taremiwho have supported the demonstrations opposing the regime, but not the other star striker, Sardar Azmounscorer of 57 goals with Team Melli and former player of the Bayer Leverkusen and of the AS Roma.
The striker, who also showed his support for the opponents, was recently accused of “treason” by the official Iranian media after the publication, in March, of a photo of him with the emir of Dubai, the country in which he currently plays.
Ghalenoei swore “before God that nothing but technical criteria” influenced his choice.
